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Southern Fried Rabbit
Southern Fried Rabbit is a Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng. Plot Bugs Bunny is fleeing to Alabama to escape a carrot famine. His attempt to cross the Mason–Dixon line is stopped by Yosemite Sam, a zealous soldier of the Confederate States of America. Sam was reportedly ordered by General Robert E. Lee to guard the borders between the Confederate States and the United States during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). He is oblivious to the fact that the war ended "almost ninety years ago" ("I ain't no clock watcher!") and continues to await new orders that will never come from the now long-deceased General Lee, refusing to allow any Yankee to cross the line. Bugs fights to cross the line. He disguises himself as a slave, Abraham Lincoln, Stonewall Jackson (as "General Brickwall Jackson") and Scarlett O'Hara (from Gone with the Wind, whose film adaptation is now owned by Warners) to little effect. He at last succeeds in removing Sam from his guarding post when he disguises himself as an injured Confederate soldier and informing him that "the Yankees are in Chattanooga" in Tennessee. Sam marches to "Chattanoogee", and uses a rifle to threaten the New York Yankees, preventing them from competing in an exhibition baseball game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Notes * Most of the scenes from this cartoon was used in the TV special, Bugs Bunny: All American Hero. * Despite the censored scene being cut from TV airings, a scene where Bugs pretends to be Abraham Lincoln and Sam finding out he's been tricked is shown in the beginning of the ToonHeads episode "Southern Fried Cartoons" before this short plays. * This is the final Looney Tune short to be given a Blue Ribbon Reissue. It was reissued in 1969, the year the Warner Bros. Cartoons went defunct ending the 'classic' Looney Tunes series. Censorship * The Cartoon Network version of this cartoon cuts out Sam yelling "CHARGE!" after Bugs first tries to cross the Mason-Dixon Line due to the short scene featuring the Confederate "bars and stripes" flag (which is considered a very controversial flag in American culture/history). Cartoon Network also cuts out the entire part where Bugs poses as a slave, then gets his cover blown when he sings "Yankee Doodle," shoves a whip into Sam's hands, begging Sam not to beat him, and Bugs posing as Abraham Lincoln to chastise Sam about whipping slaves. Instead, it goes from Sam yelling, "So, scram Yankee!" to Bugs diving into a tree hole. These edits were also seen on the version shown on the former Kids' WB as well as on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-s.aspx * In contrast to the Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Kids' WB versions, the version shown on the syndicated Merrie Melodies left in the part with Sam yelling "CHARGE!" and the sight of the Confederate flag. However, the part where Bugs poses as a slave returning to the South was slightly altered. The Merrie Melodies version omits the "Don't beat me, Massa!" dialog from Bugs after Sam threatens him with his sword. Instead, it cuts right from where Bugs shoves the whip into Sam's hands to him scurrying away from Sam. This version also replaced the shot of Sam getting blasted in the face by a cannon with Bugs (dressed as a Southern belle) blocking the door. Availability * VHS - Yosemite Sam's Yeller Fever * DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc 1 (not on region 2 United Kingdom release due to racial stereotypes and racist imagery Confederate flag). References External Links Southern Fried Rabbit at SuperCartoons.net Southern Fried Rabbit on the SFX Resource Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons Category:Yosemite Sam Cartoons Category:Shorts Category:1953 Category:Looney Tunes Shorts Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng Category:Cartoons written by Warren Foster Category:Cartoons with layouts by Hawley Pratt Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Irv Wyner Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer Category:Blue Ribbon reissues Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist